TLDR: In October 2025, SMBtech, an Australian technology publication, covered the launch of Otto as Australia's first AI ordering telephone agent. The coverage confirmed what Australian restaurant owners have been telling us: the market needed a locally built, locally supported product designed around how Australian hospitality actually operates.
When Australian technology publication SMBtech covered the launch of Otto in October 2025, their headline said it plainly: Otto: Australia's First AI Ordering Telephone Agent Launches.
That recognition matters for a specific reason. The AI phone agent category has been dominated by US-built products designed for North American restaurant operations, priced in US dollars, and supported from time zones that do not align with Australian business hours. Otto was built to fill a gap that Australian venue owners had been navigating around for years.
SMBtech reported on Otto's national launch, covering the core problem it addresses and the product approach behind it.
The coverage highlighted the revenue gap that prompted Otto's development. Research cited in the article shows 71% of inbound calls to restaurants are revenue-related, with 34% going unanswered. For context, the Otto Restaurant Phone Report 2026 found the same pattern across 1,067 Australian restaurants and cafes: restaurants miss around 1 in 3 calls on average, with over 70% of those missed calls relating directly to revenue.
SMBtech also covered what makes Otto different from a standard automated phone system. Otto's Chief AI Officer Scott Fox explained that the product was built to fit into existing workflows rather than forcing operators to overhaul their processes. That design philosophy shows up in how Otto is deployed: your existing phone number stays the same, customers dial as they always have, and Otto answers on your behalf in your venue's own brand voice.
Fox described the hospitality industry's relationship with new technology: "We find that a lot of hospo folks are cautious when it comes to adopting new tech. Operators are just figuring out if and how AI can help them, so it becomes a 'to-do later' thing. Otto is a bit different because it drops right into the current process."
Founder and CEO Shannon Hatout described the product's purpose at launch: "Hospitality is fast-paced and demanding, and Otto acts as a reliable team member who never misses a call. By capturing every order, booking and catering request, Otto helps venues increase revenue and support their staff."
That framing reflects how the product actually works in practice. Otto is not a replacement for hospitality staff. It is the thing that handles the phone so your staff can focus on the floor, the kitchen, and the customers who are standing in front of them.
The SMBtech article also included commentary from Marco Di Pietrantonio, owner of Italico in Melbourne, whose experience reflects what many high-volume Australian venues face during peak periods.
Marco described the summer pressure at Italico: "In summer, our trade explodes. The restaurant's packed, and the phones don't stop. But when no one can hear the call, or no one's free to answer, that's money walking out the door. Otto is giving us a way to handle phone orders without pulling staff off the floor. It's smart, simple and helps us keep the focus on our guests."
Otto helped Itali.co Sorrento capture $150,000 in phone-order revenue during their peak season with zero additional hires. Read the full case study at callotto.ai/case-study/italico.
The "first" designation is not just a marketing claim. It reflects a genuine gap in the market that Australian venue owners had been living with.
The restaurant phone agent category existed before Otto, but it was populated by US-built products. Those products were designed around US POS systems, US ordering culture, US time zones, and US pricing in USD. Australian operators who tried them encountered currency exposure, support delays, and products that did not quite fit the way Australian hospitality works.
Otto was built from the ground up for the Australian market. It is priced in AUD with no currency exposure. It is supported locally. It was designed around the reality that more than half of Australian restaurant revenue now comes from remote ordering, but only 27% is processed online, meaning phone orders remain a critical and largely unserved channel.
For Australian venue owners researching AI phone agents, the question of whether a product is built for Australia or adapted for it is a practical one, not a point of national pride. Local support, local pricing, and a product team that understands the Australian hospitality context all affect how the product actually works day to day.
For venue owners encountering Otto for the first time through coverage like the SMBtech article, here is what the product actually does.
Otto answers every inbound call to your restaurant 24/7, in your venue's brand voice. It takes phone orders including modifiers and sends them directly to the kitchen via KDS or printer. It manages table reservations, handles customer complaints, and answers general questions about hours, menu, and specials. It upsells on every call at a 43% success rate. It auto-detects caller language and responds without the caller needing to press any buttons.
Most venues are live within one business day of signing up. Your existing phone number stays the same. No new hardware is required except the kitchen printer, which is included with every plan.
Plans start at $299 AUD per month with no lock-in contracts and no setup fees. Full pricing is at callotto.ai/pricing.
Otto also offers a 14-day free trial that builds a fully working agent on your actual menu. You can call it, place a test order, and hear exactly what your customers would hear before going live. Note that live kitchen order flow via a printer requires a paid plan. The trial is designed for testing and evaluation. Start at callotto.ai/start-free-trial.
Yes. SMBtech, an Australian technology publication, covered Otto's national launch in October 2025 and identified it as Australia's first AI ordering telephone agent. The full article is at smbtech.au.
Otto is purpose-built for the Australian market. It is priced in AUD with no currency exposure, supported locally, and designed around how Australian hospitality venues operate. Most alternatives are US-built products adapted for Australia, with USD pricing, US-focused integrations, and support teams in different time zones.
Marco Di Pietrantonio, owner of Italico in Melbourne, said at launch that Otto gave his venue a way to handle phone orders without pulling staff off the floor. Otto subsequently helped Itali.co Sorrento capture $150,000 in phone-order revenue during their peak summer season with no additional hires.
Otto was founded by Shannon Hatout, who serves as CEO. At launch, Hatout described the rationale as helping hospitality venues capture lost opportunities by ensuring every order, booking, and catering request is handled regardless of how busy service is.
Otto offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required and no setup fees. The trial builds a fully working agent on your actual menu that you can call and test before going live. Most venues are live within one business day. Start at callotto.ai/start-free-trial.
Otto's recognition by SMBtech as Australia's first AI ordering telephone agent reflects a genuine gap in the market that Australian venue owners had been navigating for years before a locally built product existed.